The art of prefabricated building structures is not new, but it has always been predicated upon a difficult compromise between cost and quality. Even today the state of the art in pre-cast housing modules is still not perceived to yield high enough solidness and durability.
The main problem has always been the high cost of manufacturing, assembling and finishing the building structures, namely the labor, material, construction time and management costs.
The high manufacturing cost is due to labor intensive methods, material waste, and expensive raw material. Furthermore, the methods of the prior art resort to thousands of parts and pieces to be assembled, handled, designed and inventoried. These efforts require an excessive number of highly trained and specialized technicians.
Other disadvantages of the conventional manufactured building units are their structural deficiency and short life expectancy which is about fifty years. During its life span, the conventional structure may require major refurbishing and maintenance. The conventional manufactured building methods require the installation of a floor foundation on the building site, prior to erecting the prefabricated or manufactured structure. The separate installation of the floor foundation necessitates the mobilization and relocation of highly trained and specialized labor and of complex and bulky machinery to the construction site.
Even the most advanced manufacturing methods require a substantial length of time for installing and finishing the structure on site. This extended construction time is translated into higher cost.
The existing technology allows the superimposition or stackability of a very limited number of stories.
The maintenance and modification of electrical wiring, mechanical and plumbing utilities in existing manufactured structures involve elaborate efforts.
The manufactured structures of the prior art do not possess a great tolerance to the natural elements, wind, water, temperature, sun and fire. The existing manufactured structures comprise numerous energy leaks through cracks, seams, joints due to the use of a large number of components, which render the building module less energy efficient.
Wherefore, there is a basic need for a structure and method which solve the above-mentioned problems.